Land mine



Dec. 8, 1953 A. F. M. DIELS LAND MINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1950 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 8, 1953 A. F. M. DIELS 2,661,690

LAND MINE Filed May 16, 1950 2 SheetsSheet 2 JNVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS:

Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNHTED 'I'ES PATENT FFEQE LAND MINE Application May 16, 1950, Serial No. 162,288-

Claims priority, application Luxembourg March 2, 1950 2 Claims. (01. 102-8) The present invention relates to land mines.

A purpose of the invention is to provide an undetectable land mine, that is to say a mine having absolutely not one single metallic element capable of being detected by means of the actually used electro-magnetic detection instruments. It is intended to actuate with a steady pressure exerted by a heavy vehicle.

The land mine in accordance with the invention, belongs to the type including an envelope, an explosive charge, firing elements, a cover closing the envelope and an elastically deformable ring between the cover and the envelope. The invention is more particularly characterized by the fact that both the envelope and the cover include internal radial members engaging the ring, said members being adapted to elongate the ring when the cover is moved through an external pressure, so as to contact and operate a percussion device.

The term ring employed herein is intended to be understood in its broadest meaning, that is to say in the form an element closed upon itself, of suitable section and nature.

A further purpose of the invention is to avoid the use of a metallic compressing spring intended to act on the percussion device of the land mine. Moreover, the limit of the pressure value necessary for tripping the percussion device can be modified at will, if a set of interchangeable rings of graduated elasticity is available.

In accordance with the invention, the elastically deformable ring can be made in the form of a torus or roll, and preferably by means of a sheaf of elastic fibres contained in a textile sheath.

More particularly, the torus rests, on the one hand, on the radial ribs of the envelope and, on the other hand, on the radial ribs of the cover, alternating with the first ones.

Preferably, each cover rib bisects the angle formed by two envelope ribs.

The result is that, under the effect of a sufficient pressure acting on the cover, the two previously mentioned sets of ribs enter between each other, to deform the elastic torus, which takes then a serpentine shape.

It is essential to arrange the ribs alternately in order to achieve the torus deformation along its length, that is to say in the direction of its greater elasticity. Indeed, if the respective ribs of the mine cover and of its envelope were opposed by pairs, the resulting eifect would involve a simple compression of the torus sections between said ribs and a shearing effect, harmful to the good working of the mechanism,

In accordance with another purpose of the invention, the cover includes a central opening closed by a removable stopper or plug, the lower part of which is placed in the vicinity of the percussion device and controls the tripping of the latter, under the eifect of a given pressure exerted on the mine.

Thus, the percussion only takes place when the pressure exerted brings the mine cover into con- .tact with the percussion device and is sufficient to overcome the force applied to the latter in neutral position. 'The time during which the pressuremust be exerted can, moreover, be governed by the inertia of the percussion mechamsm.

In addition, the embodiment presents the advantage of rendering the operation of the percussion device independent from the direction in which the external pressure is exerted on the mine cover. 1

A still further purpose of the invention is to provide a land mine which includes a washer fastened, on the one hand, between the cover and a circular bearing of the said plug and on the other, 3 hand, between the mine envelope and an external ring mounted on said envelope. The water-tightness of the mine is ensured, regardless of the deformation it may sustain under the effect of the pressure exerted on its cover and not sufficient to cause its explosion.

Other purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front and cross section view of the mine along its axis;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a profile view of the cover closing the mine envelope;

Fig. 4 shows, in a partly torn off front view, the effect of an external pressure P.

The mine includes an envelope constituted by two shells: 1 and 2, assembled by means of nonmetallic screws 3 arranged in housings 4 provided for this purpose. A cover 5 closes the envelope 1, and 2, and includes internally radial and vertical ribs 6, which rest on a deformable torus "I, constituted by an aggregate of elastic fibres contained in a textile sheath. In its turn, the torus l rests on a second set of ribs 6 which are integral with the shell I on the envelope.

cessive ribs 9, so that a suflicient pressure being exerted on the cover 5, there follows a deformation of the torus I, each of the ribs 6 penetrating in the space existing between two ribs 9 and vice versa.

A removable plug Ill closes the central opening H of the cover and is screwed onto said openmg.

On Fig. 2, the ring 8 being removed, the respective ribs 6 and 9 of the cover 5 and of the envelope I are clearly seen. Two studs 25 permit a definite placing of the cover 5 on the envelope I so that the ribs 6 and 9 are alternating with one another.

The space existing between the lower shell 2 of the envelope and the base of the ribs 9 is filled with the explosive charge [3, Ba, which is introduced, compressed or cast, by an opening made in the lower part of the shell 2, which is subsequently closed by an additional plug IS. The explosive charge includes a main part l3 and a booster 13a fired by a primer Id. The aggregate consisting of the cover 5 and of the envelope 1, 2 is rendered water-tight by means of a washer it made of plastic material (rubber, polyvinyl chloride, etc.). This packing is retained between a circular seat l! of the plug l0 and the cover 5, while its outside periphery is pressed between the mine envelope 1 and a ring 8, of suitable profile, fixed on the shell I by means of non-metallic screws 19.

- The percussion device includes a cylindrical case 20 which rests on the set of ribs 9 by a seat 21, of a larger diameter, the said case being itself closed by a mobile head 22, the upper convex face of which is at a distance of a few milli-' meters of the lower face of the plug 10. The internal arrangement and the putting in action of the percussion device are described in detail in the concurrently filed application Ser. No. 162,289 of the same applicant.

The putting in action of the above described land mine will be easily understood by'referring to Fig. 4 of the attached drawing. Under the action of pressure P, caused, for instance, by the passage of a vehicle on the camouflaged mine at ground level, the cover 5 is pushed downwards and the ribs 6 with which it is integral (Fig. 3)

'4 deform the torus 1 resting on the ribs 9 of the envelope I.

The elastic properties of the torus I causes it to take a serpentine shape, while the base of the plug l0 coming into contact with the head 22, the, latter, by its axial displacement, trips the percussion mechanism and the striker 23 hits the primer [4 which sets fire to the booster l3a and to the main explosive charge 13.

It is obvious that the invention is not restricted to the form illustrated and described, but may be carried out in many Ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A non-metallic land mine comprising an envelope, an explosive and a percussion device in said envelope, an axially movable cover closing said envelope and an elastically deformable rin between said cover and said envelope, said cover and said envelope each having a plurality of integral internal radial ribs engaging said ring, said radial ribs on the cover, alternating with the radial ribs on the envelope to elongate said ring'when said cover is moved through an external pressure so as to contact and operate said percussion device.

2. A non-metallic land mine comprising an envelope, an explosive and a. percussion device in said envelope, an axially movable cover closing said envelope and an elastically deformable ring between said cover and said envelope, said cover and said envelope each having a pluralityof integral internal radial ribs engaging said ring, said radial ribs on'the cover alternating with the radial ribs on the envelope and each rib of the cover bisecting' the angle formed by two successive ribs of the envelope.

ALBERT FERNAND MARIE DIELS. 

